Botched-up investigation: Two death row convicts set free after 12 years

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday acquitted two death row convicts languishing in prison for around twelve years for murdering a man in the name of honour, ARY News reported. 

Aijaz Ahmed and Shahid Iqbal were condemned to death by a trial court for killing a man for honour in Hafizabad city of Punjab in 2005.

Subsequently, the convicts challenged the guilty verdict in high court which converted their capital punishment into life imprisonment.

The convicts, afterwards, appealed the high court’s verdict in the top court, seeking their acquittal in the murder case.

After hearing arguments from defense and prosecution sides, a Supreme Court bench announced the verdict acquitting both the convicts for want of evidence.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa observed that the fault is that police collude with suspects which leads to their acquittal. Police botched up the case after receiving kickbacks, observed another member of the bench and added that the prosecution’s conduct was also inappropriate whereas police was not ready to do anything.